Derived Tables:

How a derived table is useful than a view in data base? What are the additional features
derived table provides?
Derived tables are tables that you define in the universe schema . You create objects on
them as you do with any other table. A derived table is define by an SQL query at the
universe level that can be used as a logical table in Designer.
Derived tables have the following advantages:
Reduced amount of data returned to the document for analysis.
You can include complex calculations and functions in a derived table. These operations
are performed before the result set is returned to document , which saves time and
reduces the need for complex analysis of large amounts of data at the report level.
Reduced maintenance of database summary tables.
Derived tables can , in some cases, replace statistical tables that hold results for complex
calculations that are incorporated into the universe using aggregate awareness. These
aggregate tables are costly to maintain and refresh frequently. Derived tables can return
the same data and provide real time data analysis.
Derived tables are similar to database views, with the advantage that the SQL for
a derived table can include Business Objects Prompts.
View(Data Base):
In database theory, a view consists of a stored query accessible as a virtual table
composed of the result set of a query. Unlike ordinary tables (base tables) in a relational
database, a view does not form part of the physical schema: it is a dynamic, virtual table
computed or collated from data in the database. Changing the data in a table alters the
data shown in subsequent invocations of the view.
Views can provide advantages over tables:
Views can represent a subset of the data contained in a table
Views can join and simplify multiple tables into a single virtual table
Views can act as aggregated tables, where the database engine aggregates data (sum,
average etc) and presents the calculated results as part of the data
Views can hide the complexity of data; for example a view could appear as Sales2000 or
Sales2001, transparently partitioning the actual underlying table
Views take very little space to store; the database contains only the definition of a view,
not a copy of all the data it presents
Depending on the SQL engine used, views can provide extra security
Views can limit the degree of exposure of a table or tables to the outer world

Just as functions (in programming) can provide abstraction, so database users can create
abstraction by using views. In another parallel with functions, database users can
manipulate nested views, thus one view can aggregate data from other views. Without the
use of views the normalization of databases above second normal form would become
much more difficult. Views can make it easier to create lossless join decomposition.
Just as rows in a base table lack any defined ordering, rows available through a view do
not appear with any default sorting. A view is a relational table, and the relational model
defines a table as a set of rows. Since sets are not ordered - by definition - the rows in a
view are not ordered, either. Therefore, an ORDER BY clause in the view definition is
meaningless. The SQL standard (SQL:2003) does not allow an ORDER BY clause in a
subselect in a CREATE VIEW statement, just as it is not allowed in a CREATE TABLE
statement. However, sorted data can be obtained from a view, in the same way as any
other table - as part of a query statement. Nevertheless, some DBMS (such as Oracle and
SQL Server) allow a view to be created with an ORDER BY clause in a subquery,
affecting how data is displayed.
Read-only vs. updatable views
Database practitioners can define views as read-only or updatable. If the database system
can determine the reverse mapping from the view schema to the schema of the underlying
base tables, then the view is updatable. INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations can
be performed on updatable views. Read-only views do not support such operations
because the DBMS cannot map the changes to the underlying base tables. A view update
is done by key preservation.
Some systems support the definition of INSTEAD OF triggers on views. This technique
allows the definition of other logic for execution in place of an insert, update, or delete
operation on the views. Thus database systems can implement data modifications based
on read-only views. However, an INSTEAD OF trigger does not change the read-only or
updatable property of the view itself.
But One more thing is there We can use The @Function (@variable @Prompt) in the
derived Table but we can't do the Same thing in the Views.
So you can say that these are benefits are in the Derived Tables.

Universe creation issues:

What are the common issues faced during creation of universe? Tell me an
incident on how you went about solving it?
Mainly we face the issues like Loops and traps.
In my current project Ive a requirement for generating a report Country wise customer
details but, the business(client) is very cleat, theyve only requirement for Mexico, for
improving the Performance we have applied the filter on Table level(self-restricting join)
instead of Filter on the report level.

Universe Parameters:
What are universe parameters? What does the parameters tab in universe
parameter indicate?
The parameter tab in the universe indicates list of SQL parameters that can be set
to optimize SQL generation. The parameter file is still used for many RDBMS
specific SQL and connection parameters, following are few dynamic SQL
generation parameters available to the universe :
ANSI92
AUTO_UPDATE_QUERY
BLOB_COMPARISON
BOUNDARY_WEIGHT_TABLE
COLUMS_SORT
COMBINES_WITH_SYNCHRO.etc
Hyperlink in webi reports:
How to link two reports using hyperlink in webi reports?
Creating Hyperlink:
Infoview-Preferences-go to Preferences Administrator/Web intelligence, select a Default
view Format as INTERACTIVE,
select a default creation/editing tool as INTERACTIVE.
Create New Report, right click on column-HyperLink-New HyperLink.
Explain Universe design methodology
Analysis of business problem and planning the universe solution.
Designing a schema
Building the universe
Distributing the universe to users
Indicating resource controls
Limit size of result set to a specified value default 1000 rows
Limit execution time to a specified value default 10 mins
Limit size of long text objects to a specified value default 1000 Characters
Indicating SQL restrictions
Query controls
Allow use of union,intersect and minus operators
Multiple SQL statements controls

Multiple SQL statements for each context

Multiple SQL statements for each measure
Allow selection of multiple contexts
MAX_INLIST_VALUES
The max number of values you may enter in a condition when you use the IN LIST
operator is 256. Default is 99
What is a Lookup Table
A lookup (or dimension) table contains information associated with a particular entity or
subject. For example, a lookup table can hold geographical information on customers
such as their names, telephone numbers as well as the cities and countries in which they
reside. In Designer, dimension and detail objects are typically derived from lookup tables
What is a Fact Table
A fact table contains statistical information about transactions. For example, it may
contain figures such as Sales Revenue or Profit. In a universe, most but not all, measures
are defined from fact tables.
Setting access restrictions on a universe
Universe security is managed at two levels:
CMS : From the Central Management Console you can set restrictions that apply to
universes stored in a CMS. You can set what universes users can access, and depending
on the rights defined for a user group, you can restrict viewing, editing, deleting, and
other actions in a universe.
Universe : You can define restrictions for users allowed to use a universe. A restriction
can include object access, row access, query and SQL generation controls, and
connection controls.
A restriction can define the following types of restrictions to apply to a selected user or
group for a universe:
Connection : Universe connection to the data source. You can select an alternative
connection for the universe.
Query controls : Options to limit the size of the result set and query execution time.
SQL generation options Options to control the SQL generated for queries.
Object access You can select objects that are not available to the universe.
Row access You can define a WHERE clause that restricts access to row and limits the
result set returned by a query.
Alternative table access You can replace a table referenced in the universe by another
table in the database.

What are Indexes?

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